The fallout from the Northern Territory Government's controversial child protection reforms continues to grow, with the independent Aboriginal chair of the NT's Children and Families Tripartite Forum becoming the latest prominent First Nations leader to resign.
Despite significant backlash and overwhelming opposition from Aboriginal organisations, human rights bodies, child protection experts and legal groups, the Country Liberal Party (CLP) Government this week passed its child protection legislation.
The legislation removes the legal enforceability of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP) by requiring it to be applied only "as far as practicable", while also capping protection orders at two years in favour of permanency placements.
On Thursday, Danila Dilba Aboriginal Health Service chief executive Rob McPhee announced his resignation as the independent Aboriginal chair of the Tripartite Forum, saying the current environment no longer allowed him to "facilitate respectful, transparent and good faith collaboration between all partners".
He said he accepted the role in 2023 to help strengthen collaboration between the Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and other stakeholders to improve outcomes for children and families.
However, since the CLP came to office in 2024, he argued that it's "become increasingly evident" the CLP Government "is not committed to genuine partnership with the Forum on significant policy and legislative reform".
"Rather than drawing on the expertise of frontline services, Aboriginal organisations, researchers and practitioners, major decisions have increasingly been developed within government with limited engagement and little regard for the evidence presented by those working directly with children and families," Mr McPhee said in a statement.
He pointed to the Government's decision in 2025 to discontinue the 10-Year Generational Strategy for Children and Families, a reform developed through extensive consultation involving more than 340 contributors, including 102 organisations and community groups, following the Don Dale Royal Commission.
By abandoning the strategy without a replacement, it removed the Territory's primary framework for long-term planning, shared accountability and collaborative governance, he argued.
"Since then, significant policy and legislative reforms have continued to be developed without meaningful engagement through the Tripartite Forum," Mr McPhee said.
"This failure is particularly concerning given that Aboriginal children make up around 90 per cent of all children in the Northern Territory out-of-home care system. Their profound overrepresentation demands stronger partnership with Aboriginal communities, not less."
Mr McPhee becomes the second prominent Aboriginal leader in the Northern Territory to resign in the wake of the CLP's child protection reforms. Earlier this month, former Northern Territory Children's Commissioner Shahleena Musk, a Larrakia woman and former Crown prosecutor, stepped down citing concerns about the Government's approach to governance, transparency and child protection reform.
Mr McPhee said the decision to resign had not been made lightly and was "ultimately about accountability to Aboriginal children and families".
"Throughout my career, I have believed that better outcomes for Aboriginal children and families are achieved when governments work in genuine partnership with Aboriginal organisations, communities and independent experts," he said. "Good policy is strengthened — not weakened — by listening to evidence, respecting different perspectives and designing reforms collaboratively.
"I remain committed to advocating for a child protection system that is evidence-based, culturally safe and genuinely developed in partnership with Aboriginal people. However, I cannot continue to chair a partnership forum when the fundamental principles of partnership, transparency and good faith are no longer being upheld."
In response to questions from National Indigenous Times, Child Protection Minister Robyn Cahill labelled Mr McPhee's move a "media stunt shrouded under the guise of a political resignation".
"It is a decision to jump on the bandwagon of other political advocates who have spent months trying to undermine that reform," she said.
"Let me be very clear on the central point: At no stage — not once — has Mr McPhee raised concerns about consultation with me personally or with my office. Not in writing, not in a meeting, not by phone. He held an independent chair position with a direct line to this Government, and he never used it. Consultation goes both ways. It is not consultation to say nothing and then issue a press release."
A post shared by National Indigenous Times (@natindigtimes)
During the parliamentary inquiry into the legislation, 120 of the 150 submissions called for the bill to be withdrawn or substantially amended. Despite this, the CLP-majority committee recommended the legislation pass with only a minor amendment.
"During the Inquiry," Mr McPhee said, "members of the Committee also publicly dismissed and, at times, mocked expert witnesses, including one member describing witnesses as 'morally bankrupt'.
"This does not reflect the respectful, transparent and evidence-informed decision-making that the Tripartite Forum was established to promote."
The criticism echoes concerns raised over a series of recent CLP legislative reforms, including changes to youth justice, bail laws and Aboriginal cultural heritage consultation. Critics argue many of the reforms are inconsistent with the Northern Territory Government's commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
Mr McPhee said the Tripartite Forum had been established to reflect the agreement's commitment to genuine partnership with Aboriginal people. Since then, he argued he has "witnessed a growing departure from those commitments".
"The erosion of genuine partnership is inconsistent with the Closing the Gap Priority Reforms, particularly the commitment to formal partnerships and shared decision-making with Aboriginal people."
Ms Cahill said the Government "has made no changes to the Children and Families Tripartite Forum, and no change to our commitment to Aboriginal Territorians".
"The Forum remains in place, and its members remain welcome at the table. I will be writing to Forum members today to confirm exactly that, and to invite them to continue that work," she said.
The Minister also criticised Mr McPhee's resignation being sent to the media on Danila Dilba letterhead, arguing it was using the "standing of a respected Aboriginal health organisation to lend legitimacy to what is a political exercise".
"The forum role Mr [Mc]Phee held was entirely separate to that organisation, which this Government supports significantly for the important frontline work it delivers," she said. "That is disappointing."
